Paul Lambert and Brendan Rodgers prove one man can make all the difference

The Weekend Dossier

Saturday 24 March 2012 01:00 GMT

Paul Lambert (far left) and Brendan Rodgers have worked wonders at their clubs this year (PA)

The "exceptional circumstances" defence used by Tony Pulis this week to avoid a driving ban in part claimed that Stoke City's Premier League status, and the knock-on benefits for the Six Towns, was dependent on his management. Can one man really be so central to success?

There is evidence elsewhere in the top flight to suggest he can. The impact Brendan Rodgers and Paul Lambert have had on Swansea City and Norwich City cannot be understated. When the two clubs were promoted last May it was anticipated that they would now be locked in a grim battle for survival in the Premier League basement.

Instead Swansea, after three successive victories, sit eighth, 11 points clear of the relegation dogfight. Despite one point from four games, Norwich are three points behind. Swansea, who host Everton today, already look safe. Norwich surely will be should they take advantage of wounded Wolves today. Meanwhile Queen's Park Rangers, who won the Championship, spent £20m on such Premier League veterans as Joey Barton, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Bobby Zamora, Luke Young and Anton Ferdinand, are 17th and fearing the drop.

Swansea have not only been relatively parsimonious, they have squads of ingenues. The main players used by both Norwich and Swansea have just a smattering of Premier League experience. Of Norwich's core players, only Andrew Surman, with seven games at Wolves, and goalkeeper John Ruddy, who made an isolated appearance for Everton six years ago, had ever played in the top flight. As recently as May 2009, Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson were facing each other in the League Two play-off final. City's other lead striker, Steve Morison, was also at Wembley, playing in the FA Trophy final for non-League Stevenage.

Swansea have more experience on the wings with Wayne Routledge a top-flight veteran – not that it earns him a start most weeks. Scott Sinclair, Garry Monk and Danny Graham had also tasted life in the elite, but not very often.

If nothing else, this proves there are plenty of good players outside the Premier League, if only they can be fitted into the right environment. Which is where Lambert and Rodgers come in. The two men have backgrounds that reflect opposite extremes of the playing spectrum. Rodgers never made it, largely as a result of an injury which finished his career at 20. Lambert, a shrewd and economical midfielder, won 40 caps for Scotland, including at the 1998 World Cup finals, and won the European Cup with Borussia Dortmund in 1997.

The similarities are in their post-playing careers. Both took coaching qualifications and worked their way up. Lambert began at Livingston, where he struggled, then achieved success at Wycombe and Colchester before switching to Norwich shortly after the Us had won 7-1 at Carrow Road in August 2009. Rodgers learned his trade in the youth ranks, at Reading and Chelsea, before entering management at Watford. He, too, has had setbacks, notably at Reading where his attempt to change the style of play from Steve Coppell's hard-running, balls-forward-into-channels method, to a short-passing regime, proved such a culture clash that relegation threatened. He would not change his tactics, so Reading chairman John Madejski reluctantly changed the manager.

Swansea, already tutored to play a passing game by Roberto Martinez, have proved a much better fit. Helped by consistency of selection, Swansea have won many plaudits for their football, even out-passing Arsenal. In midfield, Leon Britton is the pivot, rotating possession and determining the tempo; on the flanks, Sinclair and Nathan Dyer provide pacy outlets; in attack, Graham leads the line with strength, enthusiasm, and the occasional goal. Just as teams began to work them out, Rodgers brought in Gylfi Sigurdsson on loan to give them a fresh dimension.

Norwich, though they mix it up more, also play attractive football. Lambert is prepared to be flexible, fielding a lone striker or a partnership ahead of a midfield which is usually anchored by David Fox with others, such as Anthony Pilkington and Wes Hoolahan, pushing on.

Both teams are made up primarily of home-grown players though a Dutch goalkeeper (Michel Vorm), a Spanish right-back (Angel Rangel), and, now, Icelander Sigurdsson have been key players for Swansea.

Rodgers was talking yesterday of kicking on. "I believe in the next two or three years we can really settle into this league," he said. They may do, but it is a tough division. The cautionary tale is that of Reading a few years ago, who collapsed in their second season when players found it impossible to sustain the level of performance from their debut year when the excitement wore off. Then there is the spectre of injury, especially at Swansea where resources are limited and the board will not take financial risks. The other concern, for fans of both, is whether they can hold on to their managers for, as even a court recognised, they are the men who shape a club's destiny.

Five Asides

1 Maybe Di Matteo should now listen to Terry – a bit

Had John Terry been on the sidelines to orchestrate a change in tactics when Carlos Tevez came on in midweek, would Chelsea have held on to victory at Manchester City? We'll never know, but what is certain is that, had he been there, and been seen directing operations from the technical area, there would have been a torrent of columns complaining about player-power.

But if it had worked, as it did against Napoli, why not? It has long been felt that Chelsea's senior players, notably Terry, exercise a disproportionate influence behind the scenes. If Roberto Di Matteo recognises this and co-opts Terry, he is stronger, not weaker – as long as he has the final say.

2 First winners of European Cup take on Herne Bay

Thirty years ago, when football was rare on television, Dennis Waterman appeared in a drama about the Sir Thomas Lipton trophy, an early sort of European Cup played in Turin and won by West Auckland in 1909 and 1911 (defeating Juventus in the latter final). A century on and West are back on the trophy trail. Today they make the 620-mile round trip to play Herne Bay in the first leg of the FA Vase semi-final with a place at Wembley for the winner.

In the other semi-final Staveley Miners Welfare, of Chesterfield, play Dunston UTS, the Gateshead team, who would love to be able to call on Dunston's most famous son, one Paul Gascoigne.

3 If all else fails, Mr Chairman, just sack the manager

Fortunes change swiftly in football. In January, the Burton Albion manager Paul Peschisolido rejected an approach from Bristol Rovers. This week, 11 games later, he was fired. So much for loyalty, but perhaps understandable with the Brewers losing the last six matches.

More perplexing was another dismissal in League Two, mid-table Rotherham sacking Andy Scott after 11 months. That is not long enough for anyone to build their own squad. You have to wonder sometimes what chairmen expect.

4 No apologies from Moscow over Samba's banana

The progress Russia needs to make when combating racism was further illustrated this week by the row between Lokomotiv Moscow and Anzhi Makhachkala over a banana thrown at Christopher Samba last weekend. Not only is this far from an isolated incident, Lokomotiv's refusal to accept any blame reveals an unpleasant official mindset.

5 A great British design – are you watching, Scotland?

The new GB Olympic kit looks as if it was designed to persuade the Scottish FA to allow its players to take part. Presumably the away kit will be styled to bring in the Welsh.

twitter.com/GlennMoore7

This weekend's team news...

Chelsea v Tottenham

Odds Home 5-6; Draw 13-5; Away 10-3.

Kick-off Today, 12.45pm (Sky Sports 2; Highlights BBC1 10.20pm)

Team news John Terry (calf) is expected to return for Chelsea and midfielder Oriol Romeu has recovered from a knee injury, although Branislav Ivanovic (thigh) is a doubt. Tottenham are again without Aaron Lennon (hamstring), while Emmanuel Adebayor is doubtful with the same injury. Ledley King will undergo a late fitness test.

Arsenal v Aston Villa

Odds Home 1-3; Draw 4-1; Away 9-1.